Eastern High School - Echo Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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ti ffwEfTbeEASTERN Ec1-1o1a+- 11 and now she's got scarlet fever, and she slept with the baby and he's got it, too. And I can't go into the house and the neighbors won't let me in theirs because they say I'd give them the fever, and I haven't any place to go. While the two were sympathizing with Sally, a car came rattling down the road. Here comes Larry at last. He'll help me, rejoiced Sally as she and Susan ran to meet the car. Larry, they cried together. 'Lo, kiddies, said a cheery voice as he brought the car to a stop and opened the door to allow the two to clamber in. VVhat're you up to now P VVhere've you been so long, Larry ? asked Sally. Somethin' dreadful's happened while you were away. I've been in bed the past two weeks, Sally. VVhat's happened that's so dreadful ? just then Gloria reached the car, and the man practically forgot the two little girls as he looked at the older one. You must be Gloria Stephenson, he an- nounced after his admiring scrutiny. Why, yes, I am, laughed Gloria. And, I take it, you're Larry. Right first guess! W'on't you ride to the mills with us? Hop in the back kiddies. On the way down the hill, he was told of the catastrophe that faced the Bells. After inquiring for himself, he went for a doctor and a nurse. Then, after settling everything at the Bell's and the Bromley's, he drove the two children out to Morton's farm and left them. there so that they wouldn't develop the disease, By the time they left, twilight was approaching and, after riding a few miles, they stopped at a roadside inn to eat. Then they danced a bit to the radio in the corner of the dining room. Three hours later as they turned into the Stephenson driveway, Gloria wondered when she had ever enjoyed herself more. For the first time, ber life seemed worth something. The day had been jolly, too, despite the sights she had seen at Shipton Mills. The young man just seemed to make one gay if she wanted to be or not. She had enjoyed her first cheap meal in a roadside inn, and she wouldn't let herself think of the pleasure she had had while dancing. She re- flected upon the scene her family would raise if they heard the car rattle up the driveway, with the daughter of the house sitting high on the hard seat next to Larry. But what would happen when she insisted upon seeing him as she knew she would if he asked to come again? I shall see him no matter what they say, she resolutely deter- mined as the car was brought to a standstill. Then she heard her companion say, Would you care to go back with me tomorrow to see how they're getting along F' 'Td love to, she found herself telling him. What time shall I be ready ?,' Suppose we go in the morning and spend the afternoon at Newland Beach? Does that meet with your approval ? f'Fine. I'll be ready, about-ten ? All right-see you at ten. Goodbye. She stood watching the car rattle back to the road and when she couldn't see anything but the tail-light, she listened to its rattle and imagined the boy riding down the lone, dark hill with the brilliant stars above and the first glimpse of the moon beginning to rise above the willow trees that shaded the road. Then she abruptly turned and strolled toward the house. Have you finally gotten home P asked her father, when she entered the library. Lizzie has been worried to death about her 'dear chi1e.' Where have you been P P Father, have you ever heard of a boy named Laurence Norton, she demanded irrelevantly. 'WVhat do you know of him ? he inquired. I, believe he's a social service worker over at the mills. I should say I have heard of him, exclaimed Mr. Stephenson. His father is our biggest cus- tomer. The Nortons live on Long Island-worth millions. I remember now that Carl did say that his son had come to Kentucky to do social service work. It seems that the boy got some queer notion in his head about not inheriting his father's money unless he had proved himself worthy of having it. He is rapidly making a name for him- self, too. I don't believe you'll find many rich menis sons as fine as he. fC0ntinncd on Page 1041 Winds By Ensna CooK, '34 I love the winds that ripple th-rough my hair Soft, mellow winds, with their nzysterious air.: I love the winds of Illarch--the frolicky kind . you know, That make -it feel like spring-yet end with snow. I lot-'e the winds that bring the mist and rain And slash it up against my window-paneg And then the winds that howl around my door by night, That whisper, moan, or call in tones of might. Yet best of all I love the winds that sing And tell all nature to awake to greet the glorious spring. ...gf 11 ig..- I

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ri -r-asf Th.-EEASTERN ECI-IOl3e-PM 14 Then the searching eyes glanced around the garden and, seeming satisiied, the small hand went to the neck of her dress and after some tugging exposed a piece of cotton underwear. She cau- tiously unpinned something on it, and held it ad- miringly before Gloria. This is my engagement ring, she announced. Gloria could hardly hide a smile as she tried to look astonished at the loose-leaf ring the child held so possessively before her. And besides, she continued, putting the ring on her finger and proudly admiring it, Peter can't run away from me--Peter's crippled. This was said not without self-satisfaction and pride. Crippled, Susan P Yes, he fell out of an apple tree one day. The doctor said he could walk again if he spent a month or two at the sanatorium. Mrs. Mallory is taking in wash now so's she can get the money to send him, but she declares she's afraid it's a hopeless job. VVhere do all your friends live, Susan ? Peter lives on a farm a couple miles down the road. The rest live at Shipton Mills. VVould you like to see them some time F Yes, I would, I'll tell you what. VVe'll go tomorrow. I'll have your mother pack us a lunch, and we'll eat it at Peter's house, and then go to Shipton Mills afterwards. Shall we ? Goody, goody! exclaimed Susan, hopping up and down. Then she suddenly became sober. But Ma said the butler told her that your maid said that you were expecting to Hy to New York tomorrow, and Mr. Bob looked like he meant it yesterday when he asked you-ah-ah-oh! Susan, where were you yesterday afternoon ? VVell, you see, Miss Gloria, the child stam- mered, I love to play with my kitten, Chubby, after lunch, and he sorta likes to sleep on top the arbor after eating. Susan, exclaimed Gloria, wondering what all she did know, you just forget everything you heard, and promise me that you'll not tell a soul and that you'1l never do that again. Cross my heart and hope to eat toadstools if I tell a soul,-although I did tell Peter, she added truthfully. VVell, now, don't tell anyone else. I'm just ashamed of you. But let's go to the house and tell your mother about the lunch. at wr in 1 Peter, Peterf' sang out a happy voice as a little girl in a starched blue gingham dress skipped down the walk. Peter, come here. 'Tm coming, Susan,', shouted another voice as a boy about Susan's age hopped on his crutches around the house. At the sight of the girl in blue he stopped. g You're Gloria, he said to the little girl's com- panion. Gosh, I didn't believe you were that pretty. Gloria smiled at the little boy. Good morning, Peter, she said. We've come to have lunch with you. Hey, ma, ma! shouted the boy, as he tried quickly to get to the back porch of his house ahead of Susan. She's brought company to see you,-Miss Gloria. 'Tm glad to know ye, said Mrs. Mallory cheer- fully, as she came out the back door, wiping her hands on her apron. Her chubby hard-worked hand pressed the soft white one of the girl. Susan talks so much about you. Susan and I thought that ma.ybe we could have a picnic here today, if you didn't mind. No, indeed, glad to have you. Sue, run in the house and see what time it is. The little hand's on twelve and the big one's on four, shouted Susan, jumping excitedly down the steps. Let's eat. wr fr if While the two older people chatted, Susan and Peter rushed through their lunch. Having eaten more sandwiches than Gloria thought it was pos- sible for children to consume, they each took two cup cakes and, Susan carrying Peter's, they scam- pered off to the garden to feed the crumbs to the ants and watch them as they toiled, carrying their monstrous loads to the depths of their homes and then crawling back again to see if there would be forthcoming any more contributions to their supper. VV hen their interest was beginning to lag, the two heard the voice of Mrs. Mallory calling to them. They sauntered back to iind that Gloria was ready to leave. Peter, looking at his mother, knew that something had happened in his absence. He had never seen her looking so happy, and yet she seemed as though she were about to cry. Peter wondered what could be wrong. When they had wavecla final good-bye, he saw two tears trickle down her cheek, she quickly wiped them away with her apron. Then she grabbed the wonder- ing boy in her arms and sobbed, Peter, my boy, you're going to walk again, after all ! . 4: wk wx Goodness, Susan, aren't we ever going to get there P t We're almost there now. Look, there's Sally coming up the street. Yoo-hoo, Sally. Oh, Sue, Sally screamed, running up the street,- somethin' awfulis happened. Shesud- denly became aware of Gloria. This is Gloria, Sally. What's the matter P interrupted Susan. 'Tm glad to know ya, ma'am. Oh, Sue, Bobby died last night, and Lou went over to her house --.sf 10 ya--

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H The EASTERN ECI-Iofspw if Aflisfitting Laughter By Dorothy Roycroft, 34 LL is at an end! Life holds nothing for me. I am disillusioned and I can carry on no longer. Farewell, cruel world! I go to the window and look down into the street fifty stories below. I step up on the window sill and then- I think! Ah! say I, this is not the time nor the place. Eight generations of Smiths are behind me and probably eight more are yet unborn. Shall I be the weak link? No, a thousand times no. I shall protest. I shall rise up and cry unto all the world 'Down- ' Oh, hush ! you say, in a disgusted tone. Tell ine, for the sake of these unborn generations, what you are raving about ! I am slightly weakened by this dash of ice water, but I begin to tell you the reason for my newly- begun crusade against misfitting laughter. Have you ever heard the laugh of a dainty, petite girl sound like a fog horn? I-Iave you ever listened to a broad, cherry-looking person cackle like an emaciated hen? Have you ever heard a silly little giggle and turned around to see a tall, slender creature with a Grecian nose? Have you ever heard a graceful, fairy-like girl snort like an angry war horse? Then, my child, if you have not heard these, the Fates have saved you from one of life's bitterest disappointments. But I can- not allow this. I, who have suffered so much, must tell you of the palpitations of the heart upon hearing such misfits. My first experience occurred back in the days when I was a freshman at Eastern. Those were the good old times when we had such things as depressions and crushes. I, along with the other twenty-five hundred girls, had a crush. Her eyes were blue and fringed with black lashes. Her nose was straight and had the barest perceptible tilt. She was tall, slim, and blond, and divinely built. She had a lovely voice. It reminded one of a silvery stream of water slipping gently over a moss-covered rock. You can easily see from this description why she was popular. Scores of girls haunted the places she fre- quented and I, being merely human, followed sheepishly. I strolled one afternoon into Gon- trum's, a nearby confectionery, and there sat my idol. Perhaps I shouldn't say my for she didn't know such a being as I existed, and then, too, about one hundred and fifty others lavished their affections upon her. She was sprawled in a chair, tilted against the wall. You've seen the posture in magazines a hundred times. It resembled closely a leopard cat stretching on the floor of a zoo. In one graceful white hand she held a coca.- colag the other she waved about airily as she poured forth a stream of art in her liquid voice. Around her, an admiring throng of crushes had gathered. I pushed through the mob and found myself finally at her feet. I was just about to try to attract her attention when she laughed. I-Iave you ever been struck between the eyes or in the sensitive spots around the nose? If you have, you can appreciate my sensations when that girl laughed. Shall I call it a laugh? Surely, it was deserving of a more fitting name. It was a cross between Lily Pons, Galli-Curci, and Caruso. It thrilled to high C and fell abruptly to a note so low that no instrument yet invented could reach it. It rose again on a sharp, discordant note, quivered upward for two octaves, fell one, and rose four, only to come crashing down to the original bass. I can't do it justice. No human could. A thing like that you have to hear before you believe it. When that last cord fell, my illu- sions came with it. Illusions are fragile things and mine couldnit stand the shock. It was about equal to a slight ease of blood-poisoning, a touch of chronic appendicitis, and double pneumonia. Well, my dear, that was the beginning. Since, I have had many, many disappointments of this type. I have heard the gentlest of girls snort and creak with laughter. I have seen men and women shake and rock back and forth with a laugh that wouldn't let itself be heard and that put them in absolute misery while it lasted. Once in a while, I hear some pleasant chuckles, but I believe they must have belonged to the generation before mine, for they are very rare. Now, after my tragic experiences, do you Won- der that I am- disgusted? Do you not sympathize with me for the cruel blows life has dealt me? Are you ready to fight in this righteous war against mistitting laughter? I have poured out my soul to you, and I am ready to begin my crusade. Will you be the first of my followers? A Fern By VIRGINIA HALL, '33 Green lace Wowmz. by elfifz hands, .Mounted on fragile stem, And flecked with drops of dew, A fern at dawn! -..gf 12